1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processing apparatus which receives signals for a plurality of channels inputted through a plurality of input ports thereof and then processes these signals, as well as a control program for controlling such a signal processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a signal processing apparatus, such as a mixer apparatus which is capable of signal I/O processing such as a mixing process, receives audio signals or the like from a apparatus such as a recorder inputted through desired input ports and inputted to desired input channels. Then, the signal processing apparatus can process the received audio signals, e.g. by applying various effects to the signals and then output the resulting signals to a desired apparatus or system.
Further, the signal processing apparatus can perform operation control such as volume control and reproduction start or stop using operating elements such as faders for an apparatus such as a recorder which is connected to the input ports. For example, in a “fader start/stop”, executed by a fader of a recorder to be controlled, every time the fader position passes a certain threshold (for example, −60 dB), a polarity change occurs, which acts a trigger to transmit a control signal to the recorder to provide control to start or stop reproduction or increase or decrease the signal level as the fader is operated. Alternatively, the fader can be used such that background music is played at a volume in accordance with the volume of a microphone.
The signal processing apparatus is provided with a number of input ports, a number of operating elements, and a number of input channels. However, typically, each operating element corresponds to one of the input channels. Accordingly, a device controlled by each operating element is determined by the corresponding input channel. For example, if a first fader is associated with a first input channel and the first input channel is associated with a first device, the first fader always controls the first device.
On the other hand, the connections between the input ports and the input channels can be set as desired using an input patch. The connections are set, for example, based on scenes which contain information on various settings. Specifically, when a setting for the input patch is switched in response to switching of the scene upon a scene recall that calls a scene, the connections between the input ports and the input channels are changed.
However, with the conventional signal processing apparatus, even when the setting for the input patch is switched, the device controlled by each operating element is determined by the corresponding input channel and remains unchanged. Consequently, a device that transmits a signal inputted to the input channel corresponding to an operated operating element may not the same as the target device to be controlled by this operating element.
For example, if the patch setting is such that a first input port and the first input channel are connected together and the first device is connected to the first input port, then a signal from the first device is inputted to the first input channel through the first input port. However, if the setting for the input patch is switched to connect a second input port and the first input channel together, a signal from a second device connected to the second input port is inputted to the first input channel, whereas, the first device remains a device to be controlled by the first fader corresponding to the first input channel. In this case, the first fader must be operated taking the mismatch between the transmitting device and the target device to be controlled into consideration. This does not match the user's feeling of operation. Thus, disadvantageously, the user cannot perform operations with ease.